GOP: Casey, give Kavanaugh a chance

Republicans are condemning U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. for declaring his opposition to President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee before the president had made an announcement.

Republicans are condemning U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. for declaring his opposition to President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee before the president had even announced the name of the nominee.

Casey said Trump’s list of 25 candidates was dictated to him by the Heritage Foundation, which Casey described as an “extreme-right organization.” The senator called the process “corrupt.”

“I was elected to represent all Pennsylvanians. I was not elected to genuflect to the hard Right, who are funded by corporate America,” he said.

National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Bob Salera said Casey is appealing to his liberal donor base. Salera questioned why Casey would oppose any nominee, pointing out that the senator had previously voted in favor of two of the four finalists, Court of Appeals Judges Thomas Hardiman (a Pennsylvanian) and Raymond Kethledge.

“Casey’s willingness to oppose any nominee off of a list that includes judges he has previously voted for shows he will oppose President Trump at all costs, even when doing so makes him look like a partisan hack,” Salera said.

“Judge Kavanaugh has a reputation as one of the most revered legal minds in America. His record shows respect for the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said. “President Trump’s process for selecting Judge Kavanaugh has been the most transparent in history, and the American people should expect the same thing from the Senate. Bob Casey is not interested in giving Judge Kavanaugh the fair process that Pennsylvanians expect. Casey opposed him before he was even the nominee.”

Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican, issued the following statement:

“I was pleased to see President Trump nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. Based on his reputation and resume, Judge Kavanaugh appears to have the intellect and experience necessary to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judicial nominees, including those for the Supreme Court, should understand that the proper role of a judge is to apply the law, including the U.S. Constitution, as written. I plan to apply this standard while reviewing Judge Kavanaugh’s record and I hope my colleagues will do the same so that Republicans and Democrats can work together to confirm highly qualified jurists. Considering a Supreme Court nominee is one of the greatest responsibilities a senator has, and I look forward to following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing and meeting Judge Kavanaugh in person soon.”

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Scott Wagner’s campaign for governor last week released its first television advertisement since he secured the Republican nomination to challenge Gov. Tom Wolf.

The 30-second spot features a narrator arguing that Wolf wants to raise taxes while Wagner would deliver more jobs and higher wages. It presents Wagner as someone who grew up on a York County farm and built a successful waste business from scratch.

“Unlike Gov. Wolf, who has had everything in life handed to him, and uses and abuses taxpayers like they are contributors to his personal slush fund, Scott knows the value of a hard-earned dollar.” said campaign manager Jason High. “This ad shows that every initiative Scott will push for as governor will be about increasing bottom lines and giving Pennsylvanians a better chance to achieve the American dream — just like he did.”

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Mayor Jim Kenney will headline a fundraiser for state Rep. Jared Solomon on Aug. 15 at Buccann, a Caribbean restaurant at 7254 Castor Ave.

Tickets range from $100 to $2,500 and include dinner and drinks.

Solomon was unopposed in the primary and has no opponent in the general election. ••